A former presidential candidate, Pat Utomi, has accused President Bola Tinubu’s government and the All Progressives Congress (APC) of plotting to exclude political opponents from taking part in the 2027 general elections.

Mr Utomi, a professor of political economy, spoke when he appeared as a guest on the Arise News programme on Tuesday.

The politician, who is a member of the opposition African Democratic Congress (ADC), claimed that both the ruling APC and Mr Tinubu’s government had perfected a plot to use the judiciary and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to frustrate opposition politicians from contesting in the forthcoming poll.

“Everybody who is a trend watcher can see that there is a deliberate attempt by the ruling party (and) by those in power to exclude significant political opponents from actually being on the ballot box using capture of INEC, the judiciary, and those institutions,” he said.

Mr Utomi’s allegation came 24 hours before INEC withdrew the recognition of the David Mark-led ADC national executive, citing a court order directing parties to maintain the status quo pending the determination of a suit filed by a former vice-national chairperson of the party, Nafiu Bala.

‘INEC’s validation of PDP’s controversial new leadership hasty’

Mr Utomi also faulted what he termed “INEC’s rush” in validating the controversial convention and new national executive of Nyesom Wike-backed faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

“INEC’s rush to validate the so-called new executive of the PDP (is) clear evidence that INEC is a parastatal of the APC and is about to bring democracy to a sordid, sad end in Nigeria if the people do not arise and take their country back,” he said.

The former presidential candidate argued that the APC does not want a free and fair election because it lacks the courage to test its popularity among the Nigerian people.

“The one thing the APC doesn’t want to see is the vote of the people.

“It does not, because it knows that the pain in the country, the disaffection that has come from how poorly the people live, how angry the people have become from the misery index that is their condition,” he stated.

Repealing the amended Electoral Act

There was outrage in Nigeria in February when the Senate, in amending the 2022 Electoral Act, rejected the mandatory electronic transmission of election results from polling units to the INEC’s Result Viewing Portal after vote-counting.

But speaking on the TV programme, Mr Utomi vowed that the opposition politicians would challenge the Senate decision in court to ensure it is repealed.

“Even if the courts are manipulated as they may be, we are in two courts, the court of the people and the courts of law.

“And those courts will sort themselves out.

“If people are not careful, Nigerians have had enough of being intimidated and bullied by political actors,” he said.

“And if they (political actors) are not careful, they will reap very painfully. International criminal courts will try them.”

The politician also claimed that the executive arm of government has carried out more manipulations of other arms under Mr Tinubu than under the military regime of a Nigerian dictator, Sani Abacha.

“We have reached a moment where conditions presently, in terms of manipulations of the executive branch, are worse than they were under Abacha.

“And if we don’t do something, there will be no Nigeria to redeem. This is the state of our country right now,” he said.

‘Don’t transfer your failures on Tinubu,’ Presidency replies

When contacted on Thursday by PREMIUM TIMES, the Senior Special Assistant to President Tinubu on Media and Publicity, Temitope Ajayi, refuted Mr Utomi’s allegations.

Mr Ajayi maintained Mr Tinubu has no plans to use the judiciary or INEC to scuttle the participation of the opposition in the 2027 general elections.

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He said Mr Utomi, considering his personality, ought to have grown above being “pedestrian and petty.”

Mr Ajayi expressed surprise that the former presidential candidate made such an allegation despite being a one-time political ally of Mr Tinubu and a founding member of the APC.

The presidential aide described the claim as “ridiculous” and argued that Mr Tinubu was not responsible for the leadership crisis or legal battles in the opposition political parties to warrant the allegation.

“Is it President Tinubu who created the problem in their parties? Did Tinubu ask them not to be able to organise themselves?” he said.

He contended that the president had been in opposition for 16 years without blaming the sitting president or INEC for their electoral woes.

“If they have failed in opposition, they shouldn’t transfer their failure to Tinubu,” he added.